Digital content management system and apparatus

Abstract

There are provided a digital content management apparatus which further embodies a digital content management apparatus used with a user terminal, and a system which protects the secrets of a digital content. The system and the apparatus are a real time operating system using a microkernel, which is incorporated in the digital content management apparatus as an interruption process having high priority. When a user uses the digital content, whether there is an illegitimate usage or not, is watched by interrupting the usage process. In the case where illegitimate usage is carried out, a warning is given or the usage is stopped. The decryption/re-encryption functions of the digital content management apparatus having the decryption/re-encryption functions are not restricted to the inside of the user apparatus. By providing the decryption/re-encryption functions between the networks, the exchange of secret information between different networks is secured. By using this apparatus for converting a crypt algorithm, information exchange is made possible between systems which adopt different algorithms.

I claim:  
     
       1. A digital content management system which uses digital contents, said system having: 
       a server in which a watch program which watches illegitimate usage of the digital content is stored, said watch program having a high interruption priority, and being constituted as a real time operating system using a micro-kernel, in a network.  
     
     
       2. A digital content management apparatus used with a user terminal which uses a digital content, said digital content management apparatus comprising a microprocessor, a microprocessor bus, a read-only semiconductor memory, an electrically erasable and programmable read-only memory, and a read/write memory, wherein: 
       said microprocessor, said read-only semiconductor memory, said electrically erasable and programmable read-only memory and said read/write memory are connected to said microprocessor bus, and a system bus of said user terminal is capable of being connected to said microprocessor bus;  
       a crypt algorithm and a watch program watching illegitimate usage of the digital content, are components of an operating system stored in said read-only semiconductor memory, said watching program having a high interruption priority; and  
       a user's first public-key, a user's first private-key, a user's second public-key, a user's second private-key, a digital content management program, a database's first secret-key, a database's second secret-key and copyright information are stored in said electrically erasable and programmable read-only memory.  
     
     
       3. The digital content management apparatus according to  claim 2  is configured on an IC chip. 
     
     
       4. The digital content management apparatus according to  claim 2  is configured in an IC card. 
     
     
       5. The digital content management apparatus according to  claim 2  is configured in a PC card. 
     
     
       6. The digital content management apparatus according to  claim 2  is configured in an inserted board. 
     
     
       7. A digital content management apparatus which protects the secrets of a digital content in a network, said digital content management apparatus comprising a microprocessor, a microprocessor bus, a read-only semiconductor memory, an electrically erasable and programmable read-only memory and a read/write memory, wherein: 
       said microprocessor, said read-only semiconductor memory, said electrically erasable and programmable read-only memory and said read/write memory are connected to said microprocessor bus, and a system bus of said user terminal is capable of being connected;  
       a crypt algorithm and a watch program watching illegitimate usage of the digital content, are components of an operating system stored in said read-only semiconductor memory, said watching program having a high interruption priority; and  
       a user's first public-key, a user's first private-key, a user's second public-key, a user's second private-key, a digital content management program, a database's first secret-key, a database's second secret-key and copyright information are stored in said electrically erasable and programmable read-only memory.  
     
     
       8. The digital content management apparatus according to  claim 7  is configured on an IC chip. 
     
     
       9. The digital contents management apparatus according to  claim 7  is configured in an IC card. 
     
     
       10. The digital contents management apparatus according to  claim 7  is configured in a PC card. 
     
     
       11. The digital contents management apparatus according to  claim 7  is configured in an inserted board.